Vandalism and other crimes have been increasing throughout the United States and particularly in urban areas. Automobile related crime, e.g., breaking and entering the automobile for the purpose of theft of the automobile or of property within the automobile and the personal safety of drivers and passengers have become of major concern. The ability of the automobile to resist unauthorized entry is limited, however, because access to the interior is prevented only by the glass windows enclosing the automobile body. The glass windows can be easily broken or, in the case of hardtop style bodies, pried open to gain entry to the interior of the automobile. There exists a need, therefore, for protective shields of some type which will protect the glass windows and enclose the interior of the automobile to avoid vandalism or theft and to protect the occupants.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,898 discloses a bulletproof glass panel that is mounted over the standard automobile windows using brackets. While these panels are effective to prevent penetration of the automobile windows by projectiles, storage of the panels following removal is a problem. Also, because it is possible to remove the panels from outside the vehicle, security is reduced. There still exists a need, therefore, for automotive window shields that are not removable from the standard automobile window and for which there are no storage requirements.
One object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a new and improved protective shield for windows.
Another object is to provide a protective shield for vehicle windows that are not removable from outside the vehicle.
An additional object is to provide a protective shield for automotive windows wherein the shield is withdrawn into the vehicle when open.